Adam Sandler named ‘most overpaid actor’ in Hollywood

Comedy big-shot Adam Sandler has been branded the ‘most overpaid actor’ in the movie industry, by a survey which compared the box office takings of stars’ last three movies to the salary they earn.

But while Sandler’s inclusion may not come as too much of a shock to certain movie-goers, there are some truly surprising actors in the wider Top 10 list.

[Read it and weep – Sandler in That’s My Boy]

According to the analysis, published by business magazine Forbes, much-loved Oscar winner Denzel Washington, charismatic funnyman Steve Carell and A-List Bourne star Matt Damon are also not the greatest value for money.

Katherine Heigl, Reese Witherspoon, Nicolas Cage, Jennifer Aniston and Ryan Reynolds make up the rest of the list.

Sandler can reportedly command a pay cheque of $15 million or more, but this year’s widely-panned Grown-Ups 2 failed to set the box office alight despite a colossal budget for a comedy film, while 2012 flop That’s My Boy brought in just $57 million worldwide. It cost $70 million to make.

Forbes movie correspondent Dorothy Pomerantz wrote:

“Adam Sandler is one of the few actors in Hollywood who can still command a paycheck north 0f $15 million. That’s great for his bank account – but not always so great for the studios that employ him.”